Mumbai: Just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Maharashtra cabinet on Monday cleared 18 proposals, including the development of a 300-acre park in Mumbai and the construction of a guesthouse in Ayodhya for pilgrims from the state. As per an official statement, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde chaired a cabinet meeting, during which he cleared the urban development department's proposal to develop a 300-acre landscaped park along the lines of New York's Central Park.
The cabinet approved the public works department's proposed construction of a guesthouse in Ayodhya for pilgrims from the state visiting the newly inaugurated Ram temple and other sites in the Uttar Pradesh town, it said. Among other decisions, the cabinet also cleared a proposal by the women and child development to include names of mothers in all state government documents.
The department had earlier said that this decision could be seen as a step towards giving more recognition to mothers as government documents traditionally carry the father's name. The cabinet also approved the housing department's proposal to reduce stamp duty for residents of the BDD chawl and slums and a plan for permanent houses for families of workers from 58 textile mills, which were once operational in the city.
The houses will be made under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, for which the state state housing department will give Rs 3000 crore. The plan will receive Rs 1,500 crore from the BMC. The state cabinet also approved the Transgender Policy 2024, giving them official recognition to avail benefits of various government schemes as per the eligibility criteria.
The proposal for the approval of the policy was drafted by the state social justice department, an official said. It also gave in-principle approval to implement Maharashtra Strengthening Institutional Capabilities in Districts For Enabling Growth Project, which aims to boost development at the district level.
The total cost of the project is Rs 2,232 crore, of which Rs 1,562 crore will come in the form of a loan from the World Bank, while the rest will be the state's contribution, the official said. "The state cabinet cleared the proposal to raise a Rs 7,500 crore loan from NABARD to complete irrigation projects and improve the canal system of already completed schemes," the statement from the government said.
A sum Rs 5,000 crore will be used to complete the first stage of the irrigation projects, while Rs 2,500 will be used to improve canals and water distribution systems, it added. The 'Anandacha Shidha' food kit of the food and civil supplies department containing oil, gram, sugar etc will now be distributed on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti and 'Gudi Padwa' apart from the current Diwali period, the release said.
